While the health of Australians as a whole has generally been improving over the last decade, this improvement has not been uniform across the population. Some population groups have specific health needs over and above the health needs of the general population. These groups may be affected by a number of other social issues such as poverty, family dysfunction, discrimination or geographical isolation.

This section looks at the different health outcomes for men and women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and older Australians. It also looks at health outcomes by socioeconomic status.